No major progress between the last post and now, but then it's only been two days. october is coming to an end, and that makes me feel...nervous. it's like, i feel that i'm forgetting something of utmost importance, but i have no idea what it might be. so, i'm just going to get a couple of thoughts out of my head in this post.

remember i told you all about someone from my cohort getting posted to okinawa? i'm thankful that i wasn't assigned that placement. on the other end of the spectrum, one other guy in the cohort got what seems to be my dream posting. it's in hokkaido, which is a colder place, and his rent is FREE. on top of that, it's also a fishing town, and apparently the town distributes free seafood to its residents. like, SERIOUSLY!?? not saying that i'm more suited for that posting, but i definitely like it more than my current one. and to rub the proverbial salt into my proverbial wound, he only plans on staying there for a year, because he wants to go to the US for postgrad studies. if i had that posting, i might very well stay beyond my intended 2-3 years.

having said all of that though, i am by no means unhappy with my current posting. $125 per month in rent, helpful superiors and predecessors, and a mild climate make my posting good in its own right. so, it's just a case of having a higher mountain and a deeper valley...something like that. the trick, i think, is to find contentment in one's present situation/circumstance. and there's plenty for me to be content - even happy - about. also, another lesson is to look at things from a balanced perspective. i was having some qualms about moving to a town with population density of 37 people per square km. his town's population density is 7. that is literally over a thousand times lower than singapore's figure. not sure how i'd adapt to that, the extreme winter cold (plus driving in snow and ice!), and any other negative factors that might not be immediately apparent. i'd still be game to try it though! but yes...find peace and contentment in the present situation.

on a side note, i think that i've kind of informally came out to the people on the singapore JET discord server. it's quite funny, actually. the conversation was started by some of the tokyo people (all ladies) discussing a way to co-rent an apartment, and one option that came up was marriage, because spouses can co-sign the lease. that led to LGBT marriage, which tokyo has legalized, by the way. i pointed that out, and they were like "are you interested?" i deflected that by saying that i had to find a guy who wanted to marry me first, which led to them asking me what my preferred type of guy was. totally not how i'd foreseen the conversation going! but well...there doesn't appear to be any negativity (mainly/maybe because most people there have liberal arts backgrounds?), so i'm counting that blessing. either that, or they think i'm joking. the tone is still quite light, but i'm willing to have a serious conversation if they really want to know. interestingly, the guy whose hokkaido posting i'm envious of has been described by the girls of the group as an "ikemen", or handsome guy. but as i told them, even ikemen also no point if he's not into men. i have no idea about his orientation, by the way, and i'm not planning to probe deeper in that direction.

moving on to people whose orientations i would like to know, i had a text conversation with lawyer guy this past week. it was...cold. i asked him out for dinner before my departure date, and he declined even before knowing when i'd be flying! so...yes. i think that's a pretty clear sign that he's not comfortable/interested with progressing our interaction beyond its current state. i can't blame him exactly, because he probably has his reasons...such as finding me annoying or suspicious, or having some other hang-up that i'm not aware about, or just simply not being interested. well, no point forcing things. he did say that he wants to catch up if he goes to japan, so that'll happen when it happens. for now...i guess i'll try to maintain contact, but even more sporadically than now. it doesn't feel good, but that's how things are sometimes.

still haven't really started packing yet. the inertia is real. but i do have to start somewhere. i suppose a good starting point would be to make another shred pile which i can bring to tuition to use the shredder. probably will aim to complete 1 to 2 rounds of trash clearing by this weekend. should at least open my suitcase up too, that might give me some added motivation to pack. 

-random thought of the day: One more month of tuition!-

Settled two major things and one minor thing today, and i think that's most of the loose ends wrapped up. the two major things were collecting my visa and signing papers to sell the car, while the minor thing was picking up my samsung watch from the service centre. the embassy visit was fairly straightforward; i parked at dempsey like last time, and grabbed over. the process was very fast, and i was in and out in 10 minutes. it's the first time i've ever had to apply for a visa in advance, instead of a tourist visa being issued upon landing. no wait, that's wrong. i remember applying for an australian visa for my grad trip. why didn't i need to apply for one when visiting chemical engineer cousin in 2018? did scoot help me to apply for one as part of the flight package? odd. but yes. that's the biggest hurdle out of the way, save for actually boarding the flight and arriving safely in japan.

before going down to the embassy, i stopped by the workshop to sign the sales agreement for the car with my mechanic. it's definitely irrational, but i've been repeatedly questioning my decision to sell the car. i know that selling it makes the most sense, because getting some money back for it is better than leaving it to rot while i'm overseas. even though i know the facts, selling it still doesn't feel good. i actually felt quite heavy-hearted after signing the thing, and that feeling has persisted until now. well...at least i know the car is going to someone who appreciates it and will take care of it. the plan is to treasure my remaining days with it. not that i haven't treasured my time having a car, but the thought of having to let it go in less than a month makes our remaining time together all the more precious.

visa collection was the last of my time-sensitive events today, so i took a nice long walk from the embassy back to the car in dempsey (about 20 minutes), then drove down to vivocity to collect my watch. the experience was mildly better this time, though i was still made to wait longer than expected while the staff sorted out my bill. i'm starting to think that samsung service staff need more training, or maybe they deploy all the newbies to vivocity to learn on the job. things went much smoother at the plaza singapura service centre when i sent my phone in for a screen replacement a couple of years ago. well, at least that ordeal's over. i came home to realize that the rubber on the charging station for the watch had degraded, so i'm buying a replacement off carousell. surprisingly, it's cheaper than i expected! granted that it's third-party, but i was expecting to pay more than $11.

right. the next-biggest thing i have to tackle is packing. it's a bit difficult, because we haven't been given info on our baggage allowance. based on the likely airlines, it should be either 30kg or 2 X 26kg (excluding carry-on in both cases). considering that i mostly take budget airlines, which have baggage allowance of about 15kg, i'm not sure if 30kg will be enough, too much, or too little. the other factor is that i'm still deciding what to bring! will probably leave my fancier notebooks behind, and take some which are more suited for everyday use. clothes-wise, i'm bringing work attire, 3 pairs of shoes, and some casual and workout clothes. scary JC friend says to buy stuff from uniqlo there, but i might be able to manage without. we'll see how it goes.

now that i've done most of the errands that i can, i'll probably spend next week doing packing and organization. still have to get rid of some stuff too, hopefully through carousell or some other means. at most...i'll keep them for use after JET. i should break up the packing job into phases...the current idea is to split it up into esssentials, clothes, electrical/tech, stationery, things representative of singapore, and some souvenirs. still debating on souvenirs though. the consensus on reddit is that they take up space and are not really necessary, but that's a mostly american perspective. i'll figure it out.

-random thought of the day: Don't wait till the last minute to pack, like last time.-

My weekends are usually quite laid back, with the most strenuous activity being tuition. this weekend was a little more activity-packed. it started off with me going to vivocity to drop my samsung watch off for a battery replacement on saturday, and it was more challenging than i'd anticipated. the overall experience left me with a bad impression of the samsung service centre. actually, the impression wasn't good even before i went down, because i tried to find out information over live chat and phone. the live chat experience, in particular, annoyed me quite a lot. not only was the agent unable to help me, she addressed me by the wrong name. that's not forgivable in the service industry, i think, especially when there were chat logs for her to refer to. at least the guy on the phone was polite and apologetic for not being able to be of much help.

the service centre visit was just...frustrating. maybe i was served by a newer staff member, but the word that i'd use to describe her is "incompetent". she had to refer to her seniors for help multiple times, was unable to log in to their portal, and spent what i thought was longer than necessary to get the entire process done. i must have spent 40 minutes at the counter! and it didn't help that i was running late to my next appointment due to not expecting to take such a long time at the service centre. in fairness, i don't think it's wrong to seek help when an issue is out of one's depth. but the way in which help is sought matters, especially if the person is customer-facing. think: "*colleague's name*, i need your help to verify this serial number" vs. "eh this serial number cannot leh, how ah?".

luckily for me, the next appointment was mahjong with scary JC friend, her sister, and their dad. it's been a while since i've played with them, and it was enjoyable as usual, with lots of banter and good conversation. i forgot the exact topic the conversation at the time, but i had a huge laughing fit after someone said something and i missed stacking the second row of my wall up on the first. it got to the point where i couldn't speak or sit up straight! it's good for the soul, i think. as a bonus, it was one of the rare occasions that i won money when playing at their house. i usually break even or end up being a little down, so that was nice.

mahjong was followed by going to nex and meeting scary JC friend's boyfriend at beauty in the (a?) pot for dinner. it's my second time eating at that franchise, and i don't quite get the hotpot craze. sure, the soup is nice, but i think i could eat better for cheaper elsewhere. i guess the more important thing is the social aspect, because the association in chinese culture is that people gather over a hotpot dinner for reunions. not to mention the cozy and warm atmosphere, which would be particularly appreciated on cold winter nights. not that i'd know anything about cold winter nights...maybe that's something i can try in japan, having neighbours over for hotpot.

yesterday (sunday) was the real killer day. had one class of tuition in the morning, which didn't go all that smoothly. not due to any problems from the students, by the way. i misplanned a little and ran out of time to go through some of the questions, which was made worse by my zoom disconnecting towards the end of the class. well...i'll prepare answers for them to make up for it.

sunday lunch was with one of the chemistry guys, who i don't see very often, but still feel pretty close to. we ate chicken rice at bishan, which was a win on multiple fronts. we got to  catch up, and i got a food item off my to-eat list. some way into our conversation, he was telling me about how a new superior was making work more troublesome than necessary, and how it was affecting morale in the office. i the half-jokingly asked him to consider signing up for JET, but i'm not sure that it's the best move for him. in a way, our situations are both similar in that we have basically zero liabilities, but he's earning way more than me, and so there's a greater opportunity cost for him to go on JET. we're talking about a ~40% pay cut for him, whereas in my present situation, going for JET is actually a pay raise. whatever the case, i trust he'll make a good decision for himself. even if he doesn't go for JET, he's also said that he wants to come visit me in japan. i'd be more than happy to host him.

let's see, so far i should be expecting visits from:

- scary JC friend (maybe with boyfriend and sister)

- cousin and family

- that chemistry guy

- other chemistry guys and their spouses/families

- final fantasy guildmates(?)

- lawyer guy (just me hoping)

looks like i might be providing a huge boost to the town's tourism! assuming everyone comes over and stays for a few days, that is. i really want to see lawyer guy again, because the last time we met was probably before circuit breaker...so more than half a year ago. i wonder how he's been. based on previous answers from him when i asked, "busy" and "tired" are my two guesses. i think that he could use a break, and rural japan might do him some good.

whoops, i digressed again. after lunch, i went to help a final fantasy guildmate move house. we moved some stuff last month, and this time was the final move to the new place. there was A LOT of stuff. thankfully, another guildmate drove down too, and between our 2 cars, we finished in about 4 hours? although we did things at a reasonably slow pace, we were all tired out by the time the move was finished. as thanks for helping, my guildmate bought me dinner at haidilao. so that's 2 hotpots in as many days. i saw our total bill for 5 people, and i really think that eating hotpot outside is overrated/overpriced. just get a hotpot and ingredients. the hotpot will pay for itself over time. that was also the reason that i ended up getting back only at around 12:30am. so that's 16 hours outside, and by far the most tiring day i've had in a while. was good for my soul, though it's not something i want to do too often. actually, i think it was mostly the moving that killed me.

now, for some associated thoughts. over the past week, i've been reading some manga online. romance manga, to be specific, where one person confesses to another and everything is sunshine and roses from there. as much as i want to take hope from there and believe that something similar will happen for me, i also know that those stories are fiction, and the author has full control over what happens. so it's unreliable, i guess. on the other hand, it's also a fact that i won't know the outcome unless i take that crucial step of actually talking to him about it. this situation actually reminds me of a song:

坂本九 - 明日があるさ (Kyu Sakamoto - There's Tomorrow)

いつもの駅でいつも逢う セーラー服のお下げ髪 もうくる頃　もうくる頃 今日も待ちぼうけ 明日がある　明日がある　明日があるさ ぬれてるあの娘コウモリへ さそってあげよと待っている 声かけよう　声かけよう だまって見てる僕 明日がある　明日がある　明日があるさ 今日こそはと待ちうけて うしろ姿をつけて行く あの角まで　あの角まで 今日はもうヤメタ 明日がある　明日がある　明日があるさ 思いきってダイヤルを ふるえる指で回したよ ベルがなるよ　ベルがなるよ 出るまで待てぬ僕 明日がある　明日がある　明日があるさ はじめて行った喫茶店 たった一言好きですと ここまで出て　ここまで出て とうとう云えぬ僕 明日がある　明日がある　明日があるさ 明日があるさ明日がある 若い僕には夢がある いつかきっと　いつかきっと わかってくれるだろ 明日がある　明日がある　明日があるさ

I always meet her at the usual station Wearing a sailor uniform, with her hair in braids She's coming soon, she's coming soon Today also, I wait for her There's tomorrow, there's tomorrow, there's tomorrow To the girl who's drenched in the rain I was waiting to extend an invitation to come under my umbrella Call to her, Call to her But I'm watching her in silence There's tomorrow, there's tomorrow, there's tomorrow Today is the day, I wait for her to come out And follow her from behind Until that corner, until that corner But today also, I've given up There's tomorrow, there's tomorrow, there's tomorrow I made up my mind and With my unsteady fingers, I spun the dial (of the phone) The bell is ringing, the bell is ringing I didn't wait until she picked up There's tomorrow, there's tomorrow, there's tomorrow (At) the cafe that I went to for the first time Just one thing to say, "I like you." The words came up to here, the words came up to here I didn't say it after all There's tomorrow, there's tomorrow, there's tomorrow There's tomorrow, there's tomorrow The young me has dreams Surely someday, surely someday She will understand me There's tomorrow, there's tomorrow, there's tomorrow

hope this looks ok after publishing, because it's grossly misaligned in my post text box. but you can probably match the paragraphs. so, as you may imagine, this song is about a guy who can't find the courage to tell the girl he likes about his feelings. and his excuse to himself is "there's tomorrow (to do it)". given the kanji used, and considering that the singer is male, i'm pretty sure that the original premise of this song was a guy chasing a girl. but japanese, being kind of light on pronouns, allows for some wiggle room as far as genders are concerned. so, i'm just going to repurpose this to describe my situation with lawyer guy. don't know how many more tomorrows i have as far as this is concerned, but i think broaching this topic now isn't the best time. maybe during his visit (if he visits at all) or after i'm done with JET. i'll still keep in contact with him in the meantime, of course. he's great to talk to, but i think we might need to find more common topics. so far we have final fantasy and pens, which is a decent start, i think.

that's it for now. still have some other things on my mind, but formatting the lyrics and adding translations took longer than i thought. i'm still feeling the aftereffects of yesterday, so the fact that this post is so long is actually quite an achievement. going to relax a bit before sleeping; there are some activities lined up for tomorrow too.

-random thought of the day: Things are falling into place.-

Pardon me for stating the obvious, but waking up early really gives you a lot more time to fit activities into your day. although if given a choice, i'd rather start and end my day later. sometimes though, that choice isn't available. like today, when the japan embassy gave me an 8:45am appointment to submit my visa application. and uncle murphy finally made his appearance in the JET procedure. i woke up early, but dozed off again and woke up slightly later than i'd planned to. what's worse, it was raining! and the embassy didn't allow parking within its premises any more, so i had to park at dempsey and grab over. the original plan was to take a bus from dempsey, but there's a huge stretch of uncovered road between the bus stop and the embassy.

but if that's all that uncle murphy is going to mess with me for JET, i'd consider myself extremely blessed. thankfully, the paperwork got through ok, and i have another appointment to collect my visa at the embassy. i'd meant to submit my redone certificate of health today as well, but forgot to in my state of fluster. well, there's always submitting it on visa collection day.

since i was only a short drive from NUS, i went down to see some of the changes that my friends mentioned, and to get some NUS apparel to bring over, because branding i guess? i just drove through science, and saw that my favourite ninja parking spot is no longer accessible. well...things are bound to change in a year. i stopped at arts, and got locked out of the co-op because someone forgot to open the main door into the building. apparently, it's not the first time this happened, so something's not right. in fairness, i suppose that it's a new-ish building and people may not be super familiar, or having less staff on site means that certain duties got inadvertently overlooked. anyway, i finally got to the co-op after a 15-minute delay...only to find out that NUS was closed to outsiders, ie. all non-staff and non-students, even alumni, shouldn't be on the premises! the manager lady was nice though; she let me try on the item that i wanted to buy (just to see the fitting), but told me that i had to order it online and have it delivered to my home address.

following that, i went to compass one to get a new wallet. there isn't anything really wrong with my old wallet, except that it was from the ex, and in quite a striking colour - which totally clashes with my personal taste and preference. going to use this opportunity to reduce the number of cards and random things that i carry around too. was considering using a dedicated coin pouch, but it's lots more added bulk. also, the coin pouch that i plan to use (designed in the shape of the head of baymax from big hero 6) is of the fuzzy texture and thus will get dirty easily. i guess we'll see how things go. japan is a pretty cash-dominant society (at least it was, the last time i went), and that extends to coins too.

despite the two things that didn't go according to plan, today was an overall positive experience. and while i'm not not normally someone who likes shopping or interacting with people, i must say that both shopping experiences were extremely uplifting. i attribute it mainly to the thoughtful and attentive service i received. normally, i wouldn't think twice of it, but i guess it's nice to have some in-person social contact after the isolation that's been necessitated by COVID. it could also be that the shops were having low customer flow (i was the only customer in both those cases), so the staff could focus more on me.

that should be all the major happenings for this week. the feeling of "this is real" is starting to sink in. i expect it'll only intensify until i get on the plane, or maybe until i'm in japan. another bunch of stuff to settle next week, collecting my visa and signing paperwork for the car being two of the more significant ones. i've heard someone say to love people and use things, not the other way round. but i don't think it's wrong to love your possessions, especially if they serve you well, as the car has done for me. as long as your love for them doesn't cause harm, i think it's reasonable. you might guess that i'm a little reluctant to part with the car, but ultimately, it's the decision that makes the most sense in all aspects.

guess i'll end it for now. the post is getting a little long. there are other things of a more philosophical nature on my mind, but i guess that they can be saved for another time.

-random thought of the day: Need to reply some emails.-

3 things on my mind that i want to talk about quickly before i have to leave for my medical checkup.

first is regarding JET. i don't know why exactly, but i experienced a stab of fear yesterday. it's becoming more real, i suppose, as i make more appointments to get things done before departure. not to mention how overwhelming everything seems at this point. but i figure that if i break the big things down into smaller, more doable things, they will get done eventually. i had what i thought was a brainwave and went to find out how to become a patent attorney in japan. there's a 2-stage written exam (MCQ and essay), as well as an oral exam. it seems that the exam is broader in scope than the singapore one, because trademark law is covered as well. and if you thought the below 40% pass rate for the singapore exam was bad, the latest statistic i saw for the japanese exam was a pass rate of about 7% in 2008, and about 3% in the 1990s. don't forget, the candidates are native japanese speakers, and they struggle with the exam! so, unless there's been changes that were not detailed on the internet (like the availability of an english version of the exam), i think getting qualified in singapore would be way easier for me.

next thing: i was shocked by a piece of news that came out of NUS recently. no, i'm not referring to the FASS-FOS merger, but that a member of the staff was fired for sexual assault. normally, i would be much less invested in this type of news, but in this case, the staff member in question is a personal friend. we knew each other since i was in JC, as he was one of the seniors who would drop by to help out for judo training. i wouldn't say that we were close though; the last time we met was in late 2018/early 2019 to celebrate me passing my defense, and we met on like just one other occasion in the 10 years before that. so...that friendship is on the same level as like, casual acquaintances from undergrad.

anyway. let me state that i only know whatever information is available from the media, and i have no "insider information" pertaining to the case. based on information in media reports alone, my friend appears to be in the wrong, and i'm not defending his actions in any way. the news came as a surprise, because there were no warning signs. based on what i know, he was in a relationship with someone, and they appeared happy together. although i did notice that he didn't post much about it in the last few months, so maybe they broke up? whatever the case, i hope that the affected students get the closure that they deserve.

it seems that sexual misconduct has become a persistent problem in NUS. some people even posted online that NUS stands for national university of sex. my question is: why were my undergrad and grad school years so boring in comparison!!?? no, i'm joking. i'd rather have a peaceful life than be implicated in misconduct of any sort, especially misconduct of a sexual nature. like i asked some time back while blogging on this topic, is the sharp increase in such reports due to more people committing offences, or due to more people getting caught/more victims speaking up? all possibilities are a source of worry, but for different reasons. i think it would be a good idea for NUS to look into that as part of identifying the root cause of the problem, so that it can be dealt with appropriately. unfortunately, NUS hasn't won many points for their response, and has attracted criticism for being slow to react and being less than transparent/accountable to the victims and the student population at large. i have ideas on how to solve the problem, but i have neither the influence nor power to realize them.

last thing to talk about today: sleep. i have not been sleeping well these few days. for one, i'm starting to sweat in my sleep. this is despite the air-con being on, mind you. it only started last week, so i'm inclined to believe that it's to do with my underlying anxiety about JET. either that, or there's a physical problem that i don't know about. hoping that that's not it. i've also been having several interesting dreams, two of which i recall in decent detail. one of them involved superman suffering a huge emotional trauma, resulting in him losing control of his powers and about to destroy the world. it then fell to batman, who has a strict no-killing policy, to kill superman so as to prevent the destruction of the world. i guess this is kind of like the tram problem from philosophy, but on a much greater scale. the second dream involved a ghost/monster terrorizing a supermarket. i was tasked to solve the problem alongside a judo elder, and we learnt that the ghost/monster was previously human, but got to its present form after its daughter was killed in the supermarket. so, i travelled back in time with the ghost/monster, and had to prevent its daughter from being killed. the daughter was killed for the stupidest reason, too. someone (typical auntie) was unhappy for some reason and threw a vegetable (cauliflower or onion, i forgot which) at her, causing her to fall and hit her head on the floor. oh, and i was on rollerblades the whole time for some reason. makes no sense to me at all, but that's dreaming for you.

right, that's about all the extra thoughts i have. 2 hours until the medical checkup, which means that i can rot for another 20-30 minutes before going to shower and driving down. was considering taking the train, but the overcast sky is giving me second thoughts. might pop by compass one after this to settle my GIRO arrangement and get a new wallet too.

-random thought of the day: Why, NUS, why?-

Call it schadenfreude or a dose of perspective, but learning that a singaporean JET from my intake got posted to okinawa made me more appreciative of my posting. it's not even the main island of okinawa, but one of the smaller outlying islands. for a sense of scale, that island's land area is probably comparable to that of pulau ubin. actually, it's not really schadenfreude, since i take no joy in his situation, but it's more like a "thank goodness that's not me" thing, which i feel doesn't reflect super-well on me as a person either. but enough of my character flaws for now. don't get me wrong, island life has its pros, as some JETs who have been posted to islands will attest to. $50 per month rental and free internet sounds amazing, but a 6-hour ferry trip to the mainland and less-than-stable power and internet does not. i just feel that it's a bit too far out of my own comfort zone, so i'm grateful that i've been posted to somewhere slightly more built up.

i spent an inordinate amount of time looking at the process to convert my driving license to a japan one. you see, the international driving permit only allows me to drive in japan for up to a year. after that, i have to have a japan driver's license in order to keep driving. so if i plan to recontract at all, i have to convert my license. the test is reasonably similar to the singapore one, with theory and practical sections. the theory exam is easy; 10 questions with a minimum of 7 correct answers required for a pass. the practical one, however, reminds me of judo kata competition. it's driving around a circuit, and apparently candidates are expected to memorize the route? there are also some guidelines regarding how to drive in a lane and how to turn...and by "guidelines", i mean "rules". something about 50cm from the left lane marker, and having your right wheel touch the diamond in the middle of a junction? not sure, but it's something that i'll have to find out when i'm there. honestly, i'm not even sure if i can pass the circuit portion of the singapore driver's license exam now. goodness knows how many bad habits i've unconsciously been building on. but well...i guess i'll give driving in japan a shot first. after all, the roads are bound to be quieter due to it being the countryside. although it makes me wonder...do people who obtained their licenses in more rural prefectures find it difficult to adapt to driving in major cities with the higher traffic flow and all?

had a gathering with the chemistry guys today, which was a nice way to spend my birthday. the purpose was to help our friend build some ikea furniture, and i was counting on them not to remember, since i don't make a big deal about it. but they somehow did. i randomly got a jacket from one of them, because the size was too big for him. it seems to fit well, or maybe be the tiniest bit tight, but it's great to have something checked off the list of things to get, especially since it'll be winter when i go over. we were also talking about NUS, and there was news that FASS is merging with FOS!!?? how did such a huge thing escape my notice? maybe i don't see the benefits, but it sounds entirely ridiculous to me. oh well. all the more i should drop in on my professor and use the opportunity to get some NUS apparel from the co-op.

-random thought of the day: Need to email my colleague tomorrow.-

JET placement info has been released, and i have mixed feelings. my placement is not at what i'd call my dream location, but at the same time, it's also far from the worst-case scenario. i got placed in a rural area that's reasonably far away from the usual major cities. here's a test for you. without looking anything up, tell me in which prefecture the town of nakatosa is located. heck, just tell me which of japan's 5 main islands it's on. did you know? because i sure as hell didn't. the answers are kochi and shikoku respectively, by the way. i must say that it's mainly rural and residential, with not many tourist attractions. kind of like a housing district in singapore i guess, but scaled up to size.

the shock of FINALLY receiving placements hasn't completely worn off yet. on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 meaning rejecting the placement and withdrawing from JET, to 10 being hijacking a plane and flying over early, i'd say i'm at about a 7 to 7.5. mostly excited to go, but with some apprehension. the biggest downside of a rural placing that i've experienced so far is that there's such little information available! my google skills have turned up the blog of a former JET who was posted there in 2013, which means that she can't be my direct predecessor due to the 5-year maximum term rule. and due to the one-year minimum term rule (plus the possibility of people breaking contract), i have no idea how many predecessors there are between me and her. i'd guess between 1 to 3 though. i wonder if i'm the first singaporean to get posted there?

i was trying to be pseudo-philosophical in the singapore JET discord channel, and said that maybe our placements were a case of life giving us what we needed instead of what we wanted. it seems that most of us got the opposite of what we requested. people who requested rural postings got put into tokyo, and people who requested more built up places (like me) got put into little towns. someone who indicated preference for hotter climate got hokkaido, whereas i said i didn't like warm places and got placed closer to the equator, where the summers get ridiculously hot. to be fair though, my request was actually "not island", so it's actually technically within my specifications. but yes, i was just thinking that this might be good for my goals of losing weight and living more healthily. the best part is that the location is actually by the seaside, so they have fresh fish readily available. i do wonder about the availability of meat, but i highly doubt that i'll be unable to source for it.

as i look at it, i'm seeing more and more benefits. google street view has shown me that the accommodation is mainly houses. i haven't spotted an apartment complex anywhere, so that gives me hope that i'll get a place all to myself. of course, it is possible that another JET is posted there and we end up becoming housemates, but i won't think too far. there also appears to be a conspicuous lack of public transport amenities, like bus stops and train stations. it seems likely that i'll get a cute little car to drive around. not expecting anything like my civic, though it would be a nice bonus. plus, i'm almost certain that parking is free everywhere. would also be good to finally learn to cycle as a cheaper, more environmentally friendly, and healthier way to get around.

while there are challenges, i think that i should be able to find a good solution. the first challenge being that well, it's rural. less rural than dipton for sure, but i think it's one of those places which go pitch-black at night and where the silence becomes deafening. i'll definitely need to find ways to occupy my time; perhaps by reconnecting with nature, or giving my artistic side a chance to develop. at the same time, if i am to remain competitive in the scientific/IP worlds, i'll have to keep abreast of the news and developments in those spheres as well. after that, the next challenge that came to mind was the age groups of the kids that i'd likely be teaching. the town has 3 primary schools and 3 junior high schools, which cater to kids aged between 6 to 15. that's primary 1 to sec 3 in local terms. while i'm used to handling teenagers, kids below the age of 12 scare me. but hey - if i go in with no expectations, i figure that i can't be disappointed.

linking back to the thought on getting what you need instead of what you want, i think that this is a good example of being "forced" to stretch one's comfort zone and taking calculated risks. japan was definitely a calculated risk for me because of the language barrier and unfamiliarity with its culture. but i took some measures to mitigate those risks, like learning japanese and visiting the country before applying for JET, which is a government-sanctioned program. a poorly-calculated risk would be like booking a one-way trip to somewhere like brazil, where i don't know the native language, and have no idea of the locals' english ability. so, i'm sure that while JET won't be cripplingly difficult, it also won't be a walk in the park, and that this experience will trigger some degree of personal growth from being placed into situations that are unfamiliar or just downright bad.

so, things are proceeding apace as far as the planning goes. my mechanic friend says that he's interested to buy the car, so that's the plan if my uncle doesn't want to. given that it's friday today, the wheels will begin turning in earnest next monday. for the first time in years, i've updated the blog's template! just to show the to-do list and a countdown timer on the sidebar. figure it's better than copy/pasting the list every time. makes it easier for casual reference too. have class this sunday, so i can bring some things in to shred. just casually scanning across my desk, i can see that i've got a lot to clear out. should be doable before departure.

-random thought of the day: Still in mild disbelief.-

The last time i used the words "it's happening!" was when the gears started turning for my thesis submission and defense. at that time, that was the most important/significant thing i had going on. so, i feel that it's only appropriate to use those words for another presently significant moment. JET IS HAPPENING! i mean, it was scheduled to happen before, but i finally have a departure date. we're looking at 26 november, so exactly 6 weeks from today. while it's definitely better than the worst-case scenario of a month, 6 weeks still doesn't leave me with all that much time to settle everything. so, here's the plan. i'm going to have a to-do list in order of urgency, with things that require immediate action, things that i can/have to put off for a few weeks, and things that can only be done much closer to departure. given that it's thursday already, the plan will start from next week. although i'm really hoping to receive a couple more pieces of key information, like my placement and ID number. that would make everything so much easier and allow me to finish all the paperwork sooner.

things that require immediate attention (next week or two)

- get another physical exam (print the form as well)

- visit the embassy to submit paperwork and visa stuff (make appointment)

- submit resignation to tuition (by 22 october for 1 month notice)

- talk to my aunt and uncle about the car; or else, talk to my mechanic to scrap it

- (related to above) settle road tax and if necessary, car insurance

- start packing (and cleaning out junk in the process)

- get another suitcase (depending on baggage allowance)

things that i can do anytime before departure

- buy a new phone case and wireless earphones

- visit the dentist (early november)

- clear my stuff out from the car (the sooner the better, but not urgent yet)

- meetups with various groups of friends

- set up transferwise account

- request import of medicine certificate (once flight is known)

- see doctor about sublingual immunotherapy

- switch telcos

- cancel gym membership

- think about going to the stationery shop

things that i can't do until close to departure

- apply for international driving permit (same day issuance, to do 2-3 days before flying)

- take COVID test (within 3 days before departure)

i have zero doubt that i've forgotten something in this first draft of my to-do list, so there will be updates and modifications as we go along. 6 weeks seems like a long time, but knowing my tendency to procrastinate, time will slip by. well, the way i see it, it's something that i have to optimize for. even getting one thing done a day should be plenty. of course, there are the trickier things which require information that i don't have yet, or are better done at a later date. i suppose that this is a good time as any to take a hard look at everything i own, and decide what i don't need any more. 

-random thought of the day: Excited and relieved.-

Another week has passed with no updates from the embassy. we're still in the first half of october, so there's still a fair bit of buffer time. but if the unofficial news of a november departure that's been floating about is actually true, i should know my departure date within this month. personally, i'm ok with getting a one month notice, because i only have to give one month's notice before resigning from tuition, and that's the thing on my list that requires the longest lead time. other shortlisters were saying that one month is nowhere near enough time to settle all their affairs, so i guess it's subjective and dependent on personal circumstances.

i was thinking that i might as well use this opportunity to do a tech upgrade, like getting a new phone and some other accessories. the main thing i'm interested is actually wireless earphones/earbuds. that got extrapolated into potentially getting a new phone...but i think not. my current phone (samsung note 8) is only 2 years and 8-ish months old. although there are a few cosmetic flaws, those don't affect the phone's performance. if i was inclined to change phone though, i'd be looking at the note 10+ or some version of s10. biggest downside in getting the note series would be the absence of the headphone jack, which, while would be mostly solved by bluetooth earphones, means that i lose out on a degree of versatility (eg. the current car stereo connects to my phone by either USB-C or 3.5mm jack, and it's good to have wired earphones on standby in case the wireless ones run out of battery). but more significantly, the biggest deterrent to changing phones is having to set up my accounts, like samsung pay, from scratch on the new phone. it's even more complicated now, because i have several 2FA authentications linked to my phone, like for games, banking, and singpass. so, long story short is that i won't change phone just yet (maybe after JET at the earliest), but i will probably look at getting wireless earphones. the only circumstance under which i would change phone is if my current phone isn't compatible with a japanese SIM card. well...even then, i wouldn't change phone. i'd just get a cheap phone to use for japan-related stuff, while having my current phone for basically everything else.

i think i'd better do a budgeting spreadsheet, just to get an idea of how much money i can afford to spend before japan. the biggest worry is having to pay for quarantine expenses out-of-pocket, although i'd like to think that they (whoever "they" may be) will cover it for us. the advice is to bring 1-2 months' worth of living expenses, because the first paycheck will only be credited at the end of the first month. so we're looking at having to pay upfront first for rent and whatever other administrative things that require fees. i SHOULD have enough, especially with the sale of the car. but given my eventual goal to get my own place at 35 years old, i shouldn't be too carefree with my spending. i remember someone sharing how they decided whether or not to make a purchase. the basic idea is, given the item or a stack of cash equivalent to the price of the item, which would they choose? while i recall that this person used this method for fountain pens, i think it applies more broadly. more than that, i think that this method also finds use in comparing two products that are similar in price.

for instance, i was looking at some wireless earphones. the pair that i'm currently the most attracted to is the sennheiser momentum something something 2. those go for $449 new, but can be as low as $350 on carousell. my estimate of $450 for the capless LS wasn't too far off; the shop told me that their best price is $439. a $10 difference at those prices doesn't count for much, so i'm assessing them on equal footing. when looked at from this angle, it's quite quickly obvious that the pen isn't worth the price. of course, you may argue that any pen over $5 isn't worth the price, but that's an argument for another day. comparing between the pen and the earphones, i think it's pretty much a no-brainer. admittedly, even within the earphone world, there are earphones available at quite different price points. i don't consider myself an audiophile, so my main concerns are battery life, ease of use, and comfort. perhaps it's brand reputation then? my gaming headset is from sennheiser too, and i'm very satisfied with it...apart from the fabric cover of the ear cups, which i can't wear for too long. so...yes. earphones over pen. although i'm not decided on which earphones yet. and i've got to get the battery in my smartwatch replaced too. all in all i'm not too worried, time-wise at least. it's the money aspect that's of slightly more concern.

people in the guild have been organizing gatherings for meals quite a lot recently (while abiding by the 5 people maximum, of course). since i was talking about money and budgeting, my train of thought hopped over to how some of these people could afford to eat well so often? we're talking like $80 meals once or twice a week regularly here. maybe they place emphasis on different things in life, and/or make enough money/have few enough liabilities to upkeep this kind of lifestyle.

so...it's more of the usual routine tomorrow, and i'm covering that colleague's classes again. thankfully, there are only 2 classes on my schedule, instead of the usual 3. not going to probe too much into why that is so, but just be grateful for the reduced workload. on a whim, i started looking at share prices for some companies, and i must say that i was caught by surprise. perhaps i should study some companies in greater detail, while using a part of my JET salary for investments. that is, when i actually get to japan and get paid.

-random thought of the day: Interesting that some companies' share prices didn't dip despite COVID.-

Did anyone notice the lack of updates over the past few days? given the variability in my update frequency, the fact that i was MIA might not have registered. but yes, i wasn't online much over the weekend, because i had a computer health scare. so what happened was that my computer froze on friday evening, and i couldn't get it to work again. i changed the RAM slots, unplugged the graphics card, all to no avail. then, i brought the computer to sim lim for diagnosis and repair, only to be told that it was working fine. it's like experiencing a fainting spell/seizure, going to the doctor, and returning with a clean bill of health. doesn't make sense. after some analysis of events, i think i know what caused it. you see, when lifting up my computer to transport it to sim lim, i dislodged a huge chunk of dust/dirt/hair/other gross stuff from the bottom of the casing. the buildup of debris was probably blocking the air intake to the power supply, causing it to overheat and malfunction. i totally didn't know/forgot about that intake's existence! i also noticed (both at sim lim and subsequently back home) that the computer is now running much quieter after that chunk of stuff was removed. what that all means is that i paid $30 (and an additional $7 in parking fees) to be told that nothing was wrong with my computer. i suppose that it's to buy peace of mind, sort of like regular physical checkups..

well, for full disclosure, my computer does have some issues. the diagnosis showed that my graphics card and HDD were performing on the lower end when benchmarked against current technology. it was expected for graphics, since my graphics card is old and there are much better ones out there now. the HDD, though, was a bit of a surprise. i suppose that it's from all the read/writing from playing final fantasy. but i don't think i'll be doing any modifications to my system now, with japan on the horizon. i plan to bring my laptop (which has a better graphics card than this desktop!) over, and that should satisfy all my computing needs. my only complaint is that the laptop screen resolution is smaller than what i'm used to, but i don't have much choice in that. i'm contemplating taking my keyboard over too, because i'm used to typing on it, and it feels so much more satisfying/substantial than the laptop keyboard. will probably end up doing so, but i have to plan its transport more carefully.

this HDD thing led me to think - would you want to know about a problem if symptoms hadn't yet manifested? as far as i was concerned before the diagnostics test at sim lim, my HDD was working fine. so, to be told that it is potentially close to failure was a bit of a shock. or, let's extrapolate to the human body. let's say you go in for a routine checkup, and the scans reveal that you have cancer. putting aside the doctor's professional obligation, would you rather the doctor tell you about it or not? i think people would by far and large say yes, they'd rather know about it so that they can take steps to getting cured. i also think that there might be a small proportion of people who would rather not know, because this knowledge gives them stress, affects their mental state, they can't afford treatment...whatever the reason may be. odd, but some people just think differently.

just had another bout of blocked nose yesterday. i'm thinking that something is triggering my dust allergy. could be due to that or some other reason, but i also haven't been sleeping well for the past 2 weeks. sleep duration is the same, but sleep quality has nosedived. like, i feel lethargic and nap more throughout the day. i don't think it's anything to be majorly concerned about at this time, but we'll see if symptoms persist.

plan japan is kind of stalled at the moment, due to a lack of information. i've linked up with some other shortlisters who have chosen not to defer, and i think that we're all getting a little stir-crazy. the odd thing is how foreign embassies seem to know our situation better than our local embassy does. like, the news of an "around november" departure for us actually came from the US embassy in communications to their shortlisters. i'm thinking that the embassy here just wants to wait for details to be really solid before telling us, as opposed to giving us some unconfirmed information and having to change it later. assuming "around november" can be broadly interpreted to mean "within 2020", and that a minimum of one month's notice will be given, i can expect to get news anytime from now till 30 november. you'd think that with all the waiting that we've been doing, this should be child's play, right? problem is, now that the prospect of an actual departure date is within our grasp, waiting has become so much more difficult. and some important things are time-sensitive in the sense that i can't do them too early - things like applying for an international driving permit and tendering my resignation. guess i should update my list and timelines.

-random thought of the day: Let us know soon!-

Perhaps i didn't need to send that email yesterday, because an update came today. we're set to go to japan! unfortunately, that's all i know right now, but if i had to guess/hope, i would expect that being in japan by the end of this year (or worst case, january next year) is possible/likely. anticipation! this is one of those times where taking a huge gamble paid off. it's even more gratifying because i took this gamble in spite of logical analysis telling me that it was the riskier choice, and me proceeding regardless.

with that in mind, i guess i can kind of start to make more concrete plans, including giving away/selling a lot of books and other stuff, going to see my dentist friend for teeth cleaning and a checkup, seeing about an international driving permit (walk-in seems way more convenient), and making some financial decisions (bank account, car, etc.). seems like a lot to do, but it can be settled quite quickly if i really have to rush for a near departure date. but given that there is a 2-3 month minimum lead time from now, i think that time won't be an issue.

unexpectedly, a job that i applied to contacted me to ask for further details. so it seems like they're considering me after all! now i have to choose between that and JET. well, to be honest, it's not much of a choice. you know...birds in hands and bushes. but i figure it's good to have a safety net/backup option, so the plan is to reply and see how far they will consider me. what will likely happen is i'll turn down the offer in order to go for JET. i realize it's better to have this kind of "too much of a good thing" dilemma, rather than having had nothing gone through and needing to look for other options.

market research is quite important when deciding to make a purchase, for multiple reasons. for instance, there might be somewhere else offering a significantly better price, or a newer/updated version of the product that you want to buy is available. that was the case with my vanishing point purchase, because i just learnt that there is a newer model on the market! it's called the vanishing point LS, which features a slightly different design, silent click mechanism to extend the nib, and a rotating nib retraction mechanism. in my defense though, the limited edition that i bought cannot be directly compared to this, because limited edition. here's how the LS looks. side note: LS stands for luxury and silent, but that particular acronym is going to be a little difficult to sell to the singaporean market for obvious reasons.

i'm not too enamoured with it, but i wouldn't mind getting one - either the blue or the matte black (currently leaning more towards the matte black because shiny trim is too eye-catching). i'd love the blue with matte black trim, but that doesn't seem to be an option. not too crazy over the skinnier middle portion either, but that's a minor thing. my only major gripe is that the matte black version comes with a silver nib, and not a black one, which i know they make, and would have complemented the look so much better. i guess we'll see when they hit local shops (if i'm still in singapore), and how much they're selling for. known prices so far are 35000 yen in japan, and between 310 to 440 USD in the US. if i had to guess, i'd say...$450 locally? that price would definitely deter me, so i'll have to see if there's any discount or promotion that i can take advantage of. on the bright side, i think that these are meant to be regular additions to the lineup, and not limited edition. that just means i have more time to wait for the price to drop and hopefully for more colour combinations to be released.

since i'm talking about (potentially) spending money, i just wanted to remind myself that the cathay is offering a 40% discount on e-vouchers, eg. pay $30 and get $50 spending credit. i expect that it's to drive up sales because of COVID, but it does represent a good deal for consumers too. this is what i'd call something of good value, but only if i have things that i want to buy from there. guess what? there's a pen/stationery shop in the cathay. unfortunately, they don't stock any pens that i'm interested in. they do have notebooks though, so that's probably going to get me. well, the promotion lasts till the end of the year, so i still have plenty of time to take advantage of it.

as usual, i have to consider my next steps. right now, there's nothing that needs my immediate action. guess i'll just have to keep up the gym and healthy eating, until there's more information. i realize that i missed out applying for a company, because i didn't see the tiny "contact us" button at one corner of their website. i was wondering which firm wouldn't leave a means of contact in today's day and age!? well...perhaps that's something to pursue after JET.

-random thought of the day: Excited!-